Does the Spirit of God feel like a passenger? Does it ride you like a pony?
A pony. Word thought back to when he was a little kid and somebody had a pony ride at their birthday party. For some reason the pony decided Word was a pushover. Or maybe the pony was just done for the day. Whatever the reason, it took off out of the front yard and started off down Cloverdale, right at the steepest part. Went right past the Williamses' house and the pony's owner was yelling for him to stop, but Word had no idea how to control the pony. He kept kicking it and telling it to stop, but it just went faster, and it was scary because the road was so steep. Finally the horse scraped him off on a street sign, knocking him to the street.
Or was that what his rider wanted him to think? Had that memory been inserted in his mind like those things he said yesterday?
How could he explain to people that it wasn't him, and it might not even have been God?
The New Testament had those stories about Jesus' enemies saying, "He casts out devils by the power of the prince of devils." But the whole point of the stories is that it was stupid to think that good works could come from evil sources.
But common sense said that if you were evil and wanted to insinuate yourself into a community, you'd come on as really nice and helpful. What community wouldn't welcome a healer?
He shook his head. Why am I resisting this? Isn't it what I dreamed of? There's a congregation that will look to me now to show them the will of God. To bring them his healing blessing. How can I disappoint them?
But if this is some kind of poison, some trick, then how can I continue to deceive them?
Another knock on the door.
"Please," said Word. "I'm not done."
To Word's surprise, it wasn't Rev Theo. "Word, it's me, Mack Street."
Mack Street—the one who had known about dreams. Why didn't Word think of him before?
He might have the answers Word needed.
When he got up and let Mack in, though, Mack wasn't alone. He had a woman with him. And when Mack said her name, Yolanda White, Word remembered. The motorcycle-riding bimbo who was getting all the old farts in the neighborhood so upset because she didn't have the right dignity. And here she was with Mack showing her off as proudly as if he had just invented her.
He had all the earmarks of young love. Trouble was, she didn't. She just regarded him calmly and steadily as he invited them to sit down.
Mack came to the point pretty quickly. "We want to get married."
"I'm not licensed yet," said Word. "You got to talk to Rev Theo."
"That's the point," said Mack. "We don't have a lot of time. And even though I'm underage on the books, I'm not really. I've spent at least a whole year wandering in Fairyland while only a few hours passed here in this world."
"Maybe as much as two years."
Word tried to make sense of that one. And failed. "So you're saying that somehow you're really over eighteen but not in a way you could prove to the authorities."
"And she'd have trouble coming up with a birth certificate," said Mack. "So what we want is a kind of unofficial marriage. As far as the government is concerned, no marriage at all. But in the eyes of God, a real one. That's as much as I need."
"That would be great," said Word. "I'm a minister for so short a time I only gave my first sermon last night, and already I'm being asked to break the law."
"But we're not asking for a legally binding marriage. More like those ceremonies they do for gay couples. No legal force, but all the same words as a church marriage."
"Still, this is for Rev Theo."
"No," said Mack. "It's you. Only you. Can't be anybody else."
"Why is that?"
"Because of... because you were with me. Three years ago. When you saw how that old man got healed."
There it was. The very miracle that had gotten Word started on his quest for religious enlightenment.
"Why would that matter, when it comes to marriage?" asked Word.
"Because I'm... she's..."
"Mack," said Yolanda White, "we don't need to do this. I can see Brother Word here doesn't want to do it."
"I want to do whatever will please God," said Word. "Tell me."
"The thing is," said Mack, "she's already married."
"That would probably stop Rev Theo from doing it," said Word. "Thing is, it would stop me, too."
"But the person she's married to is me."
Word wondered if he was crazy. All those years wandering around the neighborhood in a daze.
The invisible hand that had been inserted down Word's spine shifted and shivered and Word wriggled in his seat.
"Got hemorrhoids?" asked Yolanda. She grinned at him.
What an appalling woman. "No," said Word.
"I was joking," said Yolanda. "Don't any of you people have a sense of humor?"
"You people?" echoed Word, incredulous at such a racist remark coming from a black woman.
"Word," said Mack, "by 'you people' she means 'mortals.' She's... uh... she's a fairy."
Word felt a trembling in his spine. "Lady, I salute thee," said Word. He had no idea why he had said it. His mouth no longer belonged to him.
She looked at him steadily. Warily. "I also wish thee good health, sir."
"So you've found somebody you love better than me?" Word said.
He covered his mouth. Why would he have said such a thing?
"Baby," said Yolanda, "I love everybody better than you."
The invisible hand let go of his spine. "I'll perform your wedding," said Word. This time the words were his own. "As long as you don't try to assert it in court."
"Well, I wouldn't dream of asserting my wedding. All right if I attend it?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way," said Word. And then more words came unbidden to his lips:
"O Titania, dosvidanya."
"Cute," said Yolanda. "Now we're Russian?"
"What are you doing, Word?" asked Mack. "You two know each other?"
"Only as I know the soul of every wanton woman," said Word's mouth.
"I'm the one wantin' to get married," said Mack. "She's just... willing."
Word swallowed hard, trying to resist saying any words that came to him from his possessor.
But his mouth belonged to him again. "I'll do it," he said. "When?"
"Right now?" asked Mack.
"Want witnesses?" asked Word.
"Yes," said Mack.
"No," said Yolanda.
"How about a compromise?" said Word. "Let's bring in Rev Theo."
"Won't he try to stop us?" asked Mack.
"Not today," said Word. "Today I have carte blanche."
"Oooh," said Yolanda. "Another language."
Word stepped to the door and called out to Rev Theo.
"Thanks for letting me back into my office today," said Theo with a wink. "Glad to see you being so respectful to your mother," he said to Mack.
Mack looked around. "This isn't my mother, sir. This is the woman I'm going to marry."
Rev Theo looked back and forth between them. "I think there's an age disparity, my children.
Plus you look too young, son."
"That's why we want Word to marry us," said Mack. "Because he doesn't have any authority.
So it's not really a marriage."
"So why bother doing it."
"Because she needs to sleep with me," said Mack.
"More than they need to know," murmured Yolanda.
Word didn't think it was funny, and yet a laugh came unbidden to his throat. A deep, hearty laugh, and it went on and on.
"There's more than one way to possess a changeling, my love," said Yolanda. This really confused Rev Theo, since she said it to Word.
"Word," said Rev Theo, "have you and this woman been carrying on?"